


Emotional Touching

by Demial



Series: Shifter Reader [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hand Jobs, M/M, Oral Sex, Reader went from Asshole to Lovable Bonehead, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-06 08:17:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10330220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demial/pseuds/Demial
Summary: The second half ofInappropriate Touching. Reader is on hiatus from missions and has agreed to work with Zenyatta to become a better behaved agent.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't going to be updated as quickly as the first half. This is more ambitious than that, and I intend for this to be better quality for you, the readers, and for myself.

Your first time spending time with Zenyatta as his student only included a guided meditation. This continued daily for the first week. You expected more, but maybe he decided to ease you into it. Whatever _it_ was. You couldn't picture him floating around with a lesson plan in his head.

You did your best to deal with the fact that some of the agents were going on a mission this week without you. They didn't expect much trouble, or even for Reaper or Widowmaker to show themselves, but you still worried. You paced back and forth in your room the day before they left. What if someone got hit in just the wrong spot with a stray bullet, and you weren't there to block it with Reinhardt's shield or Zarya's bubble? You worried yourself into a tizzy until you couldn't stand it anymore and went to see your new master. He guided you in another meditation session, except that you cried into his pants for half of it. You thought perhaps you were being rude, but he didn't comment on it. You didn't like this new feeling of helplessness. It was terrifying. Afterwards, he listened expertly, waiting for you to finish and then repeating back anything you said in such a way that let you know he had heard you.

You avoided seeing them off. The feeling of helplessness was slowly shrinking, but still, you were worried you'd tear up, and that someone would see. You summoned up the courage to send a lame 'good luck' text to McCree. He replied with a 'thanks' and a winking smilie. You smiled weakly to yourself, picturing his dopey face actually winking at you.

The second week, Zenyatta started to introduce Genji to your meditation sessions. When he first showed, you saw him walking towards the two of you in the distance and your heart ached. You thought to yourself, I can't handle this. You were convinced that he would see your emotions on your face and react somehow. You didn't know how. You still hadn't discussed in detail anything that had happened on your last mission and the things that came before that. All you knew was what he and the other agents had discussed during their meeting about you.

Your heart ached, and your anxiety steadily built until he was finally standing in front of you and your new master. Then it all melted away. You remembered why you liked him so much the first place. You felt vaguely warm and fuzzy. His presenced calmed you, and you wondered why you thought he would judge you in the first place. Yes, you needed to apologize to him at one point, but now was not the time.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey," you replied, and your anxiety flared up again as you realized that you didn't know what to say.

"Please sit, my students," Zenyatta said, rescuing you from the awkwardness.

They gracefully sat and immediately appeared serene, as if they had always belonged in those spots. They looked as if they were part of the scenery, leaving you to sit less gracefully and struggle to focus. This continued for the next few days. You always stood there with your ache, your anxiety, and your muscles tensing until he finally stood near you. Then he left again, and you watched him go. Maybe it was a product of the meditation, but he always walked away as if he was sure about every step he took. He walked slowly, as if no worries weighed on his mind.

Watching his deliberate, careful movements, you had trouble believing that he had been different in the past. You knew he had a past, but its existence never held weight in your mind. Surely, he had never said a word he didn't mean or ever been a clumsy teenager. You just couldn't picture it. And to you, he had always been covered in metal and always carefully sliced the air with swords and shurikens. It was normal. You knew he was unique, but that wasn't unusual to you, either. It hit you one morning that you had never seen his face, but it never bothered you. You couldn't miss what you never saw, you supposed. In conclusion, to you he just _was_. And that was just fine with you.

You have a dream that night. You don't dream too often, and when you do, it never makes sense. You always ignore those kinds of dreams, and they're forgotten within half an hour of waking up. Tonight's seems especially vivid. You're standing. You don't know where. It doesn't seem important, so your mind doesn't register this detail. Oni Genji stands facing you. His hand comes up to grasp your chin briefly. He takes the hand away and brings them both up to remove his visor. He removes both pieces, and they disappear. Instead of his face underneath, it's yours. You stand there, staring at this strange fusion of the two of you. His Wakizashi appears in his right hand, the one with the peaceful Masamune's name inscribed into the blade near the hilt. In the next second, the blade comes up, slicing you from right hip to left shoulder. You don't feel pain; you just wake up, feeling really groggy, as if you never went to sleep at all. What a shitty night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I called this "the second half", but it looks like this is going to be longer than the first half. Not that anyone will probably complain.

You're making a modest effort to avoid most other agents as they go about their business at the watchpoint out of a vague feeling shame, but somehow Jesse finds you. He insists you owe him another drink and drags you to a locally-owned, but run-down, bar in the town nearby. You realize that you don't want to lose your friendship with Jesse, so you plunk down a tenner* on the counter for the bartender, telling Jesse to order whatever he likes.

You ask him how he's doing, and his reply is positive. You threaten to throw your drink in his face when he says the recent mission went smoothly because of the lack of a certain shapeshifting agent.

"But seriously, the mission went well. No one needed their behinds saved. We've gone on missions without you before. Don't worry yourself none."

You sighed and sipped your drink, attempting to push the rest of your worry out with your breath.

"So how're things goin' between you and," he waved his hand vaguely, "...you know."

"Heck if I know."

"You know what you have to do, right?"

He turn in his seat to face you. You raised an eyebrow.

"What, Jesse?"

"You gotta win 'im back. You gotta _romance_ him."

"Oh my god, what? No," you said, waving away the suggestion with both hands, "I don't do romance. You were right about the flirting thing. I'm terrible at it. Romance is worse."

"Hey, it's your relationship. Sort of relationship," McCree taps his fingers on the side of his pint of beer, "What exactly are the two of you doing?"

"I don't know. But I'm not ready to let him go anytime soon."

"Then you should try it. You ever notice that sometimes his speech gets all flowery? Talks about flowin' like water n' shit? Maybe he likes romance but didn't tell ya."

You sigh heavily. Romance made you feel icky. It was childish, you knew. You had told yourself in the past that you were too practical for it, but maybe you had just been lazy all along. Maybe it was time to change things up. Genji was definitely worth it. After spending so much time with Zenyatta, you were feeling open to trying new things.

"Alright. Say I do that, then...wait, what exactly am I going to be doing?"

McCree puts his pint of beer to his mouth and gulps. He does it slowly, like he wants you to sweat a little before answering. When he takes the drink away, foam has coated his mustache.

"Since I give a darn about Genji, and I want him to be happy, I have an idea I'm willin' to sell you."

"'S-sell' me?! 'Genji'?! What me about _me_? You won't help _me_ out?!"

If you had any clue about romancing someone, you would have spat curse words in Jesse's face and left. But you didn't, so you restrained yourself.

"Because you still owe me after all the shit you've pulled since you joined Overwatch," he said, raising his voice at you.

You crossed your arms and pouted.

"You're too old for that."

You blew a raspberry at him.

"That, too."

You glared.

"Fine," you ground out, "What do you want?"

"Don't we have the most be-yoo-tee-ful friendship."

"That we do, _Darlin'_. Now start talkin'," you replied, making fun of the way he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gibraltar uses the Gibraltar pound because of its status as a British Overseas Territory. I'm sure they don't call the ten pound note a 'tenner' but it amused me to use that word. I always do a little research for fics.
> 
> ...the more you know...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I lied about not updating this as quickly as the first half. I just got so excited and wrote all the words. ALL THE WORDS.

McCree put his glass down on the tacky, cardboard coaster resting on the worn, wooden bar.

"Now, listen," he said, stabbing the air with his hand, "This is gonna sound weird, but humour me."

You put your drink down, as well.

"See that over there?"

He pointed to the dimly-lit, dusty corner of the tavern. You followed his finger, and the corner was lit by a claw-machine full of various sizes of pachimaris. It looked as dusty as the rest of the taven. Like everyone in the town had given up on trying to win a single plushie. Why the tavern even had a claw machine in it, you had no idea.

"This is kinda cliche because Genji is Japanese, but he and those turnip things have a small history."

"Okay. Go on."

"He once told me a story from years and years ago. The Shimada clan talked him into accepting one single assassination job. Just to see if he would change his mind about participatin' in the illegal stuff," you gazed at Jesse, becoming engrossed in the story, "Now, the day before the date of the assassination, he goes to the local arcade to distract himself from thinkin' about what he has to do. He finds this little boy who's tryin' to win one of those plushes from one of the claw games. He wins it for the little boy and sends him on his way. The next day, he follows through on his orders, except...he finds the same boy hiding in a nearby closet hugging the same plush. He had just murdered the boy's father. From that day on, he never accepted another assassination job from the Shimada clan ever again. He told me that every time he a plush, or a picture of it, it serves as a good reminder how he'll never be the man they wanted him to be."

"He doesn't consider it a reminder of murdering a child's parent?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, "It's probably something Zenyatta helped him with."

"Probably."

"So, like I was saying. Win the plush for Genji, tell him that's the reason, and he'll love it. Besides, I know you'll mean it, the way you're crazy for 'im."

You picked up your drink and take a sip, trying in vain to hide your blushing cheeks. You take the opportunity to glance over a the claw machine. You return your drink to the bar.

"Okay. I'll do it. It's not _too_ romantic."

"C'mon. He's worth it, right?"

"Yeah, he is," you finished your drink and push it away from yourself, "So, what you want in return?"

"Oh, not much. Buy me a drink every time you come here to try to win that plush. And I'm usin' the word 'try' for a reason."

You scoffed.

"Yeah."

You hopped off your chair to head towards the claw machine.

"Seems fair, friend," you called to him as you put your first coin in the slot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want a pachimiri, too! It's sold out right now, though. :(

You stayed true to your word, and for the next four nights you join Jesse at the stupid little tavern to buy him a drink and try to win the stupid little pachimiri from the stupid machine. During the day, you continued to attend your little meetings with Zenyatta. It still mostly consisted of guided meditations, and some talking after Genji left, but on the fourth day, you noticed a bit of change.

The more time you spent with Zenyatta, the more you realized how much of an asshole you had been. You cringed just thinking about how you had jumped out of the window against McCree's orders. What good agent goes rogue like that? And admittedly, there were a few tears shed when you recounted the honeypot mission to your master. He listened patiently without judgement while you went over exactly what happened. He even let you pause several times to gather your thoughts.

On the fifth day, you pretty much gave up winning the stupid, _stupid_ , little plushie. You had gone through all your change, all of Jesse's change, and begged everyone but Genji for their change. You were grateful McCree was away on a few days' mission when you finally smacked the machine after it stole your last coin. He was a good friend, but you didn't need his snark after losing on the fifth damned day. In order to avoid also kicking it in frustration, you stomped out of the tavern. Maybe you should ask Jesse for an easier way to romance Genji. It was worth buying more drinks.

"Shifter."

You immediately recognized that voice and froze.

"I did not realize you liked these so much. But now I see that you do, so I got you one."

You couldn't believe it. You turned around, and there stood Genji, his green lights glowing gently in the dark. All you could manage was one dumb word.

"What?"

He walked towards you, his green lights growing in size and intensity. He pushed something soft and roundish into your hands. You took it. He wrapped his fingers around yours and squeezed. It made an adorable squeak.

Oh, no. This was all backwards. You panicked.

"No, but...I mean, I was..."

You tried to push it back into his hands.

"It was for you."

The green stripe of his visor tilted downward toward the pachimiri. You let go of the plush, and thankfully, he held onto it.

"I don't understand."

You don't remember the last time you were so awkward. You explained what McCree told you of the story with the little boy. You even rambled a little after that, explaining your little deal with Jesse. You didn't realize that you had been talking with your hands uselessly the entire time until you paused. Genji glanced up at you and down again at the pachimiri, turning it over in his hands.

Up next on the list of things to explain was how sorry you were about using his body for your own selfish pleasure. You hesitated for what felt like an entire minute before you blurted it out.

"I have already forgiven you," was all he said.

You said that dumb word again.

"What?"

"Our master has been telling me that you are very dedicated to spending time with him. You have never missed a day. I am proud to see you every time you are there for our meditation. I know this is just the beginning, but your effort is making me happy."

His words were making you happy in turn, but it didn't feel like you deserved it.

"Honestly, it doesn't feel like enough."

"Don't worry. You are far from finished. Why do you think I keep at it every day despite my improvement? There is always more to learn, and Zenyatta is very good at helping with that."

Genji walked you back to the watchpoint. When you made it back to the watchpoint, his fingers brushed against the side of your hand. When you turned to him, he was gone. You vaguely felt pain in your chest, like something had been ripped from you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, man. Why did no one tell me I was a sad-sack weab? I'm sitting here, writing the smut for Chapter 7, while drinking sake with apple juice and eating Japanese curry. Earlier today, I had the most delicious ramen from an actual ramen place.

The next morning you realized that Genji probably had his reasons for ditching you after giving him the pachimiri. You resolved to speak to him later about it. The way he had been acting towards you lately certainly suggested that the conversation might go well. For the first time in a long while, you felt butterflies in your stomach.

There was no way you would be able to sit still for meditation after last night, so you suggested to your new master (it still felt strange to call him that) that you train together. You needed to work off your nervousness, and the distraction would do nicely. Not to mention, the end goal was to return to active duty, and you couldn't do that if you were rusty. Zenyatta agreed, and you welcomed the company. You missed working as a team.

You approached the console outside the training range and started to press on the screen. You had a few presets for training alone and also with others. You chose one of the latter. It'd only been two weeks since your last training session, so you dismissed the idea of dialing down the difficulty.

Things went well at first. Zenyatta fired his orbs from the ground while you practiced your Pharah in the air. He kept an orb of harmony attached to you while you used your concussive blast to keep the bots off him in between rocket fires.

A particular training bot was focusing you from a platform to the left. A few lucky shots grazed the side of your helmet. You used your thrusters to turn towards it, intending to teach this blocky, metal jerk a lesson. It strayed too close to the edge, and you grinned to yourself. A well-placed concussive blast knocked it off its platform. It hurtled to the ground, still shooting fruitlessly at nothing.

"My student!"

Oh, no. You had tunneled, forgetting Zenyatta was below you. A few bots were getting too close to him for your comfort. Concussive blast was not ready, so you had to think fast. Zarya was the first to come to mind. You shifted, immediately hitting your master with a shield. He was safe for now, but you were stuck falling to the ground. You had to maintain this form in order to maintain the shield on Zenyatta. You did so, but you ended up hitting the ground with a loud mix between a thud and a thwack. Zarya's shields took the brunt of the impact, but it still hurt a lot. Your shoulder throbbed, and you rolled off of it, seeking to lesson the pain.

"Athena, pause training session," Zenyatta said.

The bots ceased fire and froze in place.

"Shifter, I have noticed something about the way you fight."

That sounded like an impending lesson. You groaned inwardly, as you were still hurting on the floor. He appeared in your field of vision, floating near your head. You heard a gentle hum, and you wondered if that was the sound of whatever was keeping him in the air.

"I was safe from harm, yet you continued to shield me, causing yourself injury. I saw your expression; you knew what was going to happen. Why did you not save yourself?"

"You life is important. What am I supposed to do if you got hurt? How would Genji feel if you got scrapped?"

"Those words you used to describe the death of one of my people are offensive to some omnics. I do not get offended easily, but you should consider your words before you speak around others."

"Yes, Master," you replied, turning red in the face. You had no idea. Apparently, you were going to learn all manner of things from your new teacher.

The way he spoke to you reminded you of a kindergarten teacher. Like you were a naiive little being full of potential and just needed some gentle guidance. This, coupled with the fact that he was only twenty years old, fifteen years younger than Genji, made your blush deepen. A twenty-year-old of another race was kicking your ass. Had Genji had the same little moment of clarity as you when he first met Zenyatta? You could have laid there, continuing to contemplate your new existence as your master's student, but he was not done with you.

"What about your own life? Is it not important to you?"

You open your mouth to answer, but you're stumped. You always thought of your fellow agents' well-being first. They were heroes, the ones you'd looked up to for years before you joined. They were unique, every one of them, and the world needed them. Because of these reasons, they were all precious to you, not just Genji. You'd do anything to protect them. That included giving your life for them. But...did that mean you considered their lives more important than yours? If so, why?

You stared dumbly at Zenyatta's never-changing face as a strange feeling took shape within you. Your second little revelation felt like a second crack in a dam that was holding back a flood of emotion that was waiting to overwhelm you. You forced your eyes to stay open, hoping that the small tears would evaporate in the air. You didn't think you could take much of this without breaking down here, on the floor.

"I can see on your face that you are scared. It is okay. It will be difficult at first, but the better you know yourself, the better a friend you can be. To yourself. It is one of the most important things I can teach you."

He offered you a hand. You took it, and he dipped a little in the air pulling you up. Perhaps you should have shifted to someone lighter to be polite.

"Shall we continue?"

"Yeah. I need the practice."

You shifted, ready to go full force on the bots.

You were indeed a little rusty, but with Zenyatta at your back, you powered through missing any shots or tripping over your own feet. You always enjoyed having someone to protect, even if he didn't need protecting half the time. Your master was a beast. Sometimes you'd turn to take a training bot out and find it was already in pieces on the floor.

You were feeling cocky after you parted with Zenyatta. You were McCree, flipping Peacekeeper about on your pointer finger on the way back to your room. He'd probably slap you upside the head about gun safety, but you didn't see anyone else in the hallway. You scrambled to put your gun away when you noticed Genji leaning against your door.

"There you are. Our master said you were heading home."

He stumbled towards you. You didn't know what was wrong or what to do about it, so you just held out your arms. He fell against your chest, his face plate making a muffled clunk against McCree's serape and shoulder armour. You wrapped an arm around his back and the other around his waist. You suddenly felt protective, maybe because his frame was smaller than yours.

"I did not realize how much we were relying on you until they asked me to fill in for you."

You barely heard his exhausted words through all the material in the way.

"Can you ask Winston if you can do less or take a break?"

"I am taking a break now," he replied.

"For how long," you demanded.

"A day and a half," he said, wrapping his arms around your rib cage.

You made an angry noise.

"How is that good enough?!"

"Talon has increased their activities as of late."

You bit your lip and chewed.

"Fiiiine. I guess that's important."

He didn't reply, so you continued.

"I guess I get some energy from the forms I use while shifting. I don't notice being tired until after way later. Especially when using non-human bodies."

"That is lucky."

You squeezed him gently.

"I am very lucky. I think if everyone didn't exist, I probably couldn't shift."

There were words left unsaid about how lucky you also felt to have Genji here in your arms right now, but you weren't sure if that was going too far. Despite your caution, he pulled himself away and you let go immediately.

"I am going to sleep."

He was probably too tired to offer any more words, but you just remembered that you had something on your mind.

"Wait," you called. He stopped, "I wanted to ask you something."

He looked over his shoulder.

"Could we talk tomorrow?"

"Of course," he replied, "I will message you."

You went into your room, did your evening routine, and fell onto the bed. You didn't think you'd be this tired. You were tired inside and out. It must from when Zenyatta handed you your own ass earlier. Either way, it made falling asleep in your warm bed all the more sweet. You tucked your cell phone under your pillow so as not to miss any messages from Genji and fell asleep quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did these chapters get so long?

You awoke to find indeed find a message. He asked that you come to his room later that evening and to make sure to be yourself. Why was he being specific about that? You spent the rest of the evening with the butterflies in your stomach again. This time, their number seemed to have increased. You nervously messaged him again to confirm that he was indeed waiting for you in his room and then headed over.

You opened his door to find him sitting on his bed, with his hands in his lap and his legs crossed, but still otherwise exuding that usual aura of calmness.

"Hey," you said, feeling proud of how not-awkward you sounded. You sat next to him on the bed.

"I wanted to give you something in return for the pachimiri. It was very sweet of you...even if you were not the one who won it."

"Why are you such a sass machine?"

You brought your hand to your mouth.

"Poor choice of words?"

"No. I am indeed part machine. So is this, I suppose."

He immediately uncrossed his legs and took his hands away to lean back on the bed to reveal his erect dick. Your mouth fell open.

"I wanted to give you a chance to touch the real thing," he purred.

He took advantage of your shocked state to draw you onto the bed, as he lay back, pulling you on top.

He grasped the base and squeezed.

"I hope you don't mind that I joke about you already knowing how to stimulate my penis," you rolled your eyes, "but I would like to guide you through this. I would feel more comfortable."

You patted his thigh.

"It's okay. I'll do whatever you want. Within reason," you narrowed your eyes at him, "You seem like the type to be hiding a really weird kink. Maybe it's the visor."

He took the hand from your thigh with his free hand and threaded his fingers through yours.

"I will let you know if I want to try something new with you."

"Thank you."

He shifted his grip on your hand and brought it over to his cock. He wrapped your fingers around it and squeezed again.

"Mmm."

"You know," you said, flexing your fingers. The shaft was rubbery and the surface felt soft, but it was otherwise very solid, "It feels different."

"Hm?"

"Because it's my hand this time. Not yours."

"I find that oddly comforting."

"You really forgive me?"

You had to check again. Just in case he had changed his mind.

"I do."

"You're amazing, Genji," you said, blushing.

"No, you are."

"Okay, that's too much. That's...mushy. Stop."

"You _are_ amazing," you couldn't see his eyes, but you assumed he was gazing up at you with affection in his eyes, and it made you blush harder and look away, "I have watched you save so many of our friends. And I know you would do it as many times as we need you to."

You waved away his words, still looking away. You felt vaguely uncomfortable and scared. Like the two of you were going somewhere you couldn't return from. It confused you. All you were planning on doing was giving him a handjob.

"This is awful," you tried to joke, "You're embarrassing me. And I can't escape."

"Do you want to?"

You couldn't tell if he was being serious.

"No! You might put your dick away again."

"Shifter."

"Yeah?"

"Look at me."

Your eyes slid to his visor, you stayed facing away.

" _Look_ at me."

You turned your face to him and hoped that your fear wasn't showing on your face. You couldn't bear the thought that he might assume you didn't want to be here.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"You are asking that while you're holding my hand on your dick? ...No! Don't let go. I just wanted to make fun of you."

He let his head fall back into the pillow and sighed.

"Okay, okay! I just..." You looked away and then back again, "I'm scared. Because if we do this and then things might be serious. What if, what if...I hurt you again?"

You know you didn't make a lot of sense, and you tried to mentally prepare yourself for his reply. You didn't want to be rude and look away again, so you settled for looking just below the green of his visor.

"I trust you. Or we would not be in this position."

"And should you? Trust me?"

"I want to take that risk. Only I can make that decision. No one knows what will happen. Not even our master. But I want you here," he squeezed your hand again, "Holding my dick."

You grinned, looking back up at the green again.

"Aha! You said something dirty!"

"I am rolling my eyes at you," he said, nevertheless sounding really amused.

You laughed loudly, happy to be feeling the awkwardness recede. You crawled forward to lean on your free arm, straddling one of his legs.

"Can we get started now?"

"You are feeling better?"

"Yes."


	7. Chapter 7

You used your knowledge to the best of your ability. Unfortunately, that included your personal experience with his cock, but this time, you were using it for good reasons. And you weren't sure if he would feel your efforts the same as someone with a flesh and blood penis, but he reacted the same. Or, as near as you could tell with his face hidden. You never held it against him, but seeing his facial expressions would have helped. You wanted him to feel good, and you wanted to prove that your efforts to be a better agent, and perhaps a better partner, had added up to something.

He started you off with a firm grip and a steady pace, breathing heavily behind his mask and digging the back of his helmet against the pillow. Judging by his reaction, he had been wanting to feel your hands on his length for a long while.

You braced yourself on the best next to his thigh and attempted to move your hand up and down his shaft faster. He didn't resist. His grip slackened, and he started to moan softly with each breath. Licking your lips, your eyes flicked from the head of his cock to his visor and back.

"Babe," you said softy.

"Yes," he hissed between moans.

"I want you in my mouth. May I?"

He stopped, chest visibly rising and falling, and lifted his head to consider your offer for a short moment. You felt a short burst of worry that you had gone too far.

"I would like that very much."

You both took your hands away at the same time. You eagerly leaned forward to position your mouth above the head of Genji's erection. You looked to the green of his visor to make sure he wasn't going to change his mind. He rolled his head on the pillow, regarding you, and the tip of his knee armour accidentally brushed against the sensitive flesh between your legs, making you bite your lip.

"What is that look for? Are you trying to tease me? It is working," he said, each consequative word slightly lower in pitch than the last.

That made you grin. Your worries were completely unfounded. Still smiling, you sank your mouth down around his cock a generous amount and pressed your tongue against it. It felt so soft. Your eyes fell closed, and you sucked on it gently, getting a feel for the solid, phallic object. It was warm, and you wondered if he could control the temperature of this part of him, too. It felt so nice in your mouth, that you may have rubbed against his knee armour on purpose that time.

Genji was too busy feeling his own pleasure. You heard quiet metallic scratching sounds as he had his hand covered the green glow of his visor. You worked him as you had worked him with your hand, picking up where you left off. He inhaled loudly at the start and fell apart steadily from there. Both hands were covering his face plate now.

"I want to finish," he asked, voice straining and high-pitched, bordering on begging.

Your eyes flew up to contemplate him when you realized the change in dynamic. Normally, he was the one with slightly more power between you. You were the rookie screw-up; he was the one with more experience as an agent. You were the new student to Zenyatta; he was the one who insisted you become a student in the first place. You weren't even the one who got him the pachimiri; he did. You realized something else; he had never used that power against you.

You pulled your mouth up and grabbed the shaft.

"Please," he whispered.

You used an iron grip on the shaft and sucked hard on the head. His size didn't leave much room for you to pump your hand, but you did your very best. In no time at all, he curled inwards and stiffened, grunting. He collapsed back onto the bed, and a shudder ran through him.

You crawled forward, seeking to press your body to his. He welcomed you by wrapping one arm around your waist.

"Good?"

He gently pressed his visor to the side of your face in response.

"To put it mildly, yes."

He yawned, putting his hand in front of where his mouth was under the visor. You smiled at the motion.

"You're tired already?" you teased.

"Mentally, yes. I took a step out of my comfort zone tonight, and I had to be there for you at the same time."

You opened your mouth, but he brought his hand up to interrupt.

"Do not apologize. You needed it."

You buried your face in the pillow next to his head.

"Stop being amazing. I can't handle it," you said to the pillow.

"Yes, you can."

You didn't argue. You hoped your silence was as good as an agreement as you laid against him. He didn't press you for more conversation. He just ran has hand gently up and down your back, soothing you until felt sleepy and ready for bed. Eventually, you got up and kissed the side of his visor good night. You returned to your own room. Originally, you had planned on taking care of yourself when you got back, but you were too tired. You concluded that tonight was a win for your relationship with Genji and went to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one's an usually long one!


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, you noticed a raised level of activity about the base. You were still semi-avoiding people going about the watchpoint, but even you noticed the bustling. You stood still, watching people go back and forth, trying to decide what they were doing without actually having to ask. Someone grabbed your shirt from behind, and you yelped.

"Shifter, let's go."

It was McCree. You shook him off but followed all the same.

"Rundown," you asked.

"Talon activity. Gibraltar," he answered, all business.

You walked briskly to keep up with his long strides.

"Shit, that's close."

"You bet your behind," he said, giving you brief side-eye, "And that means you're up."

"Oh, wow," you replied, eyes wide, "Okay."

"You ready now?"

"That's my secret, Jesse," you answered, shifting to his form with a knowing look, "I'm always ready."

You grinned around a cigarillo, and his eyes almost rolled out of their sockets. You took the cigar out of your mouth to hold in your fingers. Jesse's mouth may be used to it, but you still didn't like it. You both headed to the Orca. Everyone else arrived within fifteen minutes, ready to go. Everyone was more or less strapped in (or hanging on, as all the seats were taken).

"Shifter, plan," said Winston.

"Sir?"

"You're going to be Pharah and hang back behind cover. Mercy will be with you. We don't know how much resistance we'll encounter. It's imperative that Mercy to survive to provide medical attention to all the wounded."

"Yes, Sir."

"That means stayin' put," said Jesse.

"Yes," you agreed, glancing briefly at Genji. He nodded and gave you his signature two-finger salute.

They didn't explain the rest of the plan. That was unusual. Maybe it was the time crunch, or that they didn't know want you to get any ideas about accidentally foiling their intentions. Or both. The Orca arrive in no time at all, a hundred back from a rocky cliff. You were directed to set up near the cliff itself, behind some conveniently placed, large rocks. The rocks would provide cover, and if need be, you could rocket back to the Orca with Mercy in tow.

Half an hour went by. You heard various noises and chatter over the comm during that time. You wound yourself up a little catching random words and worrying for everyone's safety. You knew you could be helping. You hadn't earned that right yet. But what good is that if someone got hurt? Mercy tried her best to reassure you, and you thanked her. Her words brought you back out of your spinning mind.

"Shifter, retreat," spat the comm. You weren't sure who exactly it was. Probably Jesse.

"Come again?"

"Soldiers headin' your way. Too many. Take Mercy and go."

"I can handle this. This is child's play to me. Please."

"Shifter, I _swear to god_...fine. They're too close, anyway. Defend 'er with your life, but do not actually lose it. If you get either of you killed, I will drink a six-pack of Corona and then piss it all over your grave."

"Wow, Sir. Such confidence."

"Just get to work."

"Yes, Sir," you answered in Soldier 76's deep, gravelly voice, "Stay here," you told Mercy.

She nodded. Her face was serious, ready for anything. You were impressed. If you'd been in her shoes, you'd have been nervous.

You ran forward towards the rocks the two of you had been using for cover. You heard the shuffling of feet of Talon soldiers coming closer. You listened with 76's expert ears. When you figured they got just close enough, you leapt up onto the rocks and hit a button on the left side of your visor.

"I'VE GOT YOU IN MY SIGHTS!"

Red overlayed your vision, and you started firing. You felt immense satisfaction as they fell, one after another.

You shouldered the heavy pulse rifle, ready to tell Mercy it was safe to retreat back to the dropship with you. 

"Oh, shit."

A new group of Talon soldiers appeared. You had underestimated how many there were. The tactical visor had ran its course, so you shot helix rockets at the remaining enemies. A couple more fell, but there were still too many.

The gears in your head start turning, but something explodes near your ear. You stumble backwards behind the rocks and put hand to your head. You take it away. No blood. It clicks, and you realize it's a shot from Widowmaker's rifle. It must have grazed your ear. You doubt she will miss a second time. And if you died here, who would protect Mercy? You brought up Reinhardt's shield in a split second to see a large impact where your head just was. Smaller shots from pulse weapons from the soldiers reverberate against the shield.

A small, shiny figure cut across the back of the remaining enemies. They cried out in pain and fell to their knees. It was Genji. Loud cracks rang out behind him, and the Talon soldiers fell to the ground, dead. McCree appeared behind the bodies.

You kept the shield up until you were told it was safe to relax. All the other agents trickled in to behind cover. The mission must have been over. You would have liked to ask if it was, but McCree was pacing angrily behind Genji. He went through an entire cigarillo, puffing on it repeatedly, and stopped to light another. Once lit, he resumed pacing.

He eventually stopped, set his eyes on you, and chewed.

"Of all the options ya have, you chose _that_? You haven't learned a goddamn thing!"

"Agent McCree, enough," Winston cut in, "Everyone, head back to the Orca. Shifter, please remain here. We need to talk."

Neither you nor Genji was among the wounded, so you should have felt relieved, but you could almost feel yourself shake a little as everyone walked past you to head to the dropship. This because this time you knew that Jesse was right. In the past, you could have sassed him back immediately and made a fool of yourself in front of everyone. This time, however, you knew better. After the fact. You felt guilty and wished you could go back and make a different choice. In hindsight, you could have skipped all that showing off and shifted to Reinhardt in the first place. Mercy would have been just as safe, and you could have retreated just like Jesse asked you to.

"Commander," you stated, squaring your shoulders. You mentally steeled yourself to repeat your thoughts. Winston was reasonable. Hopefully, this wouldn't end in you being out on your ear.

"Agent Shifter," Winston said in his usual gruff, but otherwise friendly, voice.

"I know what I did wrong, Sir."

"You do?"

He raised an expressive eyebrow. You shifted from one foot to the other.

"Yes. Please, let me first apologize for not listening to Agent McCree right away. Arguing with him like I did was no way to show how much I want to be improve as an agent."

"Very true."

You pressed your lips together into a thin line.

"And also, he was right about my choice of strategy. I realized after the fact that I could have played it more conservatively. Less showing off. Sir."

"Oh," was all he said.

You prayed that you used the correct words, even if words themselves were insufficient after the stunt you just pulled.

"Sir...?"

"I was going to give you a stern talking to, but it seems like you already gave it to yourself," you almost fell to the floor in relief, "I'm sure Zenyatta would be proud to hear what you just said. That being said, disobeying a direct order warrants punishment. I'm sorry," you nodded, "You will be confined to the base again until Zenyatta and I, again, decide you're ready. I will not go soft again. Pun not intended," he added, pushing his glasses up his nose.

You fought a smile from your face. Yes, you did the absolute wrong thing again, but you were getting another chance. You chatted with Winston about what you could have done back there had you behaved. You also congratulated him on the terrible joke he had just made. The conversation was surprisingly friendly.

When you arrived at the open door of the Orca, you realized that no one else knew that you were partially off the hook. You shifted back to your own body, anticipating an awkward atmosphere. Not to mention, Jesse was probably still pissed at you. Maybe drinks wouldn't fix this. Not this time.

You strode in, risking a glance at McCree, who was sitting next to your favourite ninja. He looked up at you from under the brim of his hat. His face was unreadable. He did, however, get up to let you sit in his seat. You sat next to Genji. You were thankful he didn't speak. He just entwined his fingers in yours.

On the way back, you gathered enough courage to take out your phone and type one-handed messages to Jesse, begging his forgiveness. You jokingly offered all the Corona in the world.

His reply wasn't what you expected.

_I'm not the one you should be apologizing to._

You stared at the text for a few seconds, confused.

Another message.

_Speak to your boyfriend, you idiot._

Your eyes widened. You looked to your side. Genji was staring straight ahead. That's what you were guessing, though, with that visor on. He squeezed your hand, almost painfully tight. This wasn't the right time and place to talk, though, so you leaned back against the seat to wait for the ride to be over. You worried in circles in your head until you drifted off to a restless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you who have an account on here and leave a kudos, I may be creeping your profile. I like to see what variety of stuff you all like, and sometimes I find a fantastic fanfic in your works and bookmarks to read, too!

You woke with a start when the Orca landed. Except, the landing wasn't what woke you. Someone had already lifted your safety harness off and picked you up off the seat. You inwardly panicked as you realized it was Genji. McCree's cryptic messages were still weighing on your mind.

The other agents were giving the two of you meaningful looks, you didn't see. You were too busy trying to relax in Genji's hold as he clutched you against him. The way he was silent confused and worried you, so you said nothing the entire way to your room. He would speak up if he had something to say. That's just how he was. At one point, his grip had tightened to the point of causing you pain, so you shifted, and he relaxed.

When you arrived at your room, he placed you sitting up on your bed. He turned down the covers and knelt in front of you to pull off your shoes and socks. You realized that he was undressing you for bed. While very sweet of him, you thought he might leave afterwards and not give you time to talk.

"Genji..."

"You need to sleep," he said evenly.

Fair enough. It had been a long day, but you couldn't tell what he thinking by his tone. It couldn't be good. You lifted your arms to assist in pulling your shirt off.

"Are you going to join me?"

"Not tonight."

That was definitely not good. You assisted him in getting your pants off, too, but something about this didn't seem right. The memory of you sitting on your bathroom mat in Genji's form flashed vaguely in your mind.

"Genji, please. What's wrong? I know I might not have made the right decision the way I used 76's tactical visor, but I needed to save Dr. Ziegler. We need her. You understand that better than anyone."

"Please lay down," he told you quietly. His choice of words and the way he said them reminded you of a parent speaking to a stubborn child. You had enough of that from Zenyatta. You didn't need it from Genji, too, "You need to sleep."

"Not unless you're going to join me."

"These beds are too small for us both, and you know this," his said as his voiced wavered, as if he was trying to hold an emotion in. Was it anger? "This is not like the time at the hotel when it was too hot."

You narrowed your eyes at him, tired of hearing questions in your head. You wanted answers.

"I'm not a kid! Don't treat me like one. You are hiding something from me. I'm not that much of an idiot. I can tell. What is it? Are you angry at me for what happened today? We should talk about it."

He sighed.

"You are right. We should."

If he didn't have your full attention before, he had it now as he started to deliberately removed the plates covering his face. First, the one covering his eyes, and then the one covering the lower half of his face. He took your hands in his and brought them to touch his cheeks. You felt the unevenness of his skin. You saw the criss-crossing of the mauve scars across his face. There were a few small, permanent nicks in his lips. You very much felt like this should have been a moment to appreciate and file away in your mind as an emotional first. But as you took in his lovely, brown, almond-shaped eyes, he was staring up into yours with piercing intensity.

"I want you to really see what could happen if something goes terribly wrong in the future. What you could end up looking like."

"I thought you were okay with what you looked like," you pleaded, flipping your hands downwards to hold his hands, "I like the way you look."

"I am, and I know you do. I am okay with myself, because I have to be. The alternative is a life filled with emotional pain. I went through a lot of pain, both kinds, just to get to this point. I don't want you go through the same hardships I did."

Tears were collecting in his eyes, and the sight made your heart ache.

"But, Genji..."

"Please do not argue with me about this," he said, narrowing his eyes, "I know what I am talking about."

You squeezed his hands, attempting to seem reassuring.

"That thing that happened to you, with Hanzo...that stuff doesn't seem to happen to me. And when things go wrong, I always come out okay."

Your reassurance didn't work at all. It only made him more angry. You felt his hands shake a little.

"You are going to argue with me because you think you are _lucky_? Being lucky is not going to save you from dying or ending up like me."

You've never seen him this intense before. It scared you; not because you were scared _of_ him, but you didn't know how to deal with this besides continuing to push your side of the argument.

"No, but...okay, I did just argue that, but...why didn't you bring something like this up before? You know what organization we're both apart of and the dangers. We could be both die on the next mission. You made me be honest with you the other night. You're not being honest with me. I think you owe me the same courtesy."

Genji flinched, his imperfect lips pressing together momentarily, and you regretted saying the word 'die.' But you knew you were right. He pressed his face into your hands. You felt the tears from his eyes wet your skin, and your fingers twitched, because the tears underscored how emotionally charged the situation was. You wanted so much for Genji to tell you what he was thinking and to stop being like this. Genji mumbled something into your hands. His words vibrated the tips of your fingers and it tickled.

"What?"

He brought his face up and stared intensely, and a little angrily, into your eyes.

"I said, I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm inexperienced at writing love into fanfics. Plz be gentle in any feedback. D:


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read my other Genji stuff, you know I love the forehead-touching. Reminds me of [Garrus](http://imgur.com/a/LVxUL).

It was in that moment that you truly realized that you had had your head up your ass this whole time. The reason that you wanted to be near Genji so much was that you had returned his feelings. For how long, you didn't know. All you knew right now that he was here, in front of you, being wonderful and confessing first. It was safe for you to return the feelings. You'd never felt this elated since you joined Overwatch for the first time. That didn't stop you from doing the usual of being awkward and staring dumbly into his eyes for what seemed like forever. He must have known who you were by now, so he waited for you to speak. His face relaxed and the anger disappeared.

"G-Genji. I love you, too."

"I know," he replied, pulling you into a tight hug. You pressed your cheek into the side of his helmet, wanting to be as close to him as physically possible.

"If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" you joked.

"I was not sure about my own feelings until now."

You both pulled away to look each other in the eyes again.

"I'm that much of an idiot?"

"You really want an answer to that?"

His lips formed into a small smile.

"I guess not," you said, returning the smile.

He leaned forward to touch the forehead of his helmet to yours, and put a hand on either side of your head, holding you in place.

"Don't be that reckless again," he scolded seriously.

"Yes, Sir."

And you meant it.

You told him, fuck it, he was staying in your bed. To your pleasant surprise, he didn't argue this time. You both spent the first half of the night struggling to get comfortable enough to sleep, but neither of you were willing to give up. You were in love, damnit, and if love could conquer all, it could start with sleep.

First, you tried to sleep with your bodies entwined, but your arm fell asleep. You got pins and needles something fierce. Then, he poked you no less than three times with his knee armour alone. His right foot dug painfully into your ankle until you prodded him in his soft side. You tried front and back, but his back plates were no more comfortable than his chest pieces. After that, he couldn't decide if he wanted to sleep with his visor pieces on or off. You insisted off, feeling it was more intimate. He argued that he was used to leaving them on. After some harmless bickering, you won, but then you both realized that you still hadn't found a comfortable position. You bickered some more, between yawns and twisting around in the sheets, until your body's need for rest won out and you fell asleep.

You woke with your foreheads touching and-

"Oh, god," you groaned softly.

Pin and needles even worse in your other arm. You did your best to shake it out without waking your bedmate. Checking his bare face, he seemed to be still fast asleep. Oh, but your bladder wasn't. Leave it to your body to ruin a good moment. Unfortunately, you had been sleeping with your back to the wall, with Genji in front of you. You were trapped on the bed with him facing you. You chose to wait it out until he woke up. There was plenty of time to study his face properly. It definitely less than perfect, and you knew Genji would have been the first to admit he wouldn't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon. But it was _your_ partner's, and a modest amount of delight bubbled up within you at that thought. You smiled to yourself and let your eyes close again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet. Heheh.


	11. Chapter 11

Your eyes flew open, and Genji took his hand from your cheek, trying to pretend it was never there.

_All agents to the hangar bay immediately. This is an emergency. All agents..._

You stared at each other, trying to think what could be going on. His face was serious; yours was confused. You gently nudged him back off the bed, so you could get up and throw on clothes. Anything. It didn't matter what you wore, because of your ability. Genji snapped his face plates back into place.

"I guess that means no breakfast," you lamented.

"That is what worries you?"

"I can worry about more than one thing, Genji," you informed him as you jogged down the hallway together, Athena's announcement following as you went. You stopped at his room briefly, so he could gather his swords.

Jesse tossed each of you a ration as you all gathered in a circle outside the Orca. You brightened, but not for long. These weren't known for being tasty. Nevertheless, you ripped open the packaging and shoved it into your mouth. You cast a quick glance to your side. Genji wasn't eating his.

"Listen up!"

You raised an eyebrow at Jesse in question, but you didn't open your mouth. It wasn't your place. You chewed some more on your ration.

"Sombra temporarily knocked Athena out and Talon took advantage to fly in a small army. They intend to wipe us out at the source."

Winston drooped with guilt.

"When Athena didn't nag me to eat a healthier breakfast like usual, I thought, well...honestly, I didn't want to believe it."

There was a pregnant pause as everyone realized that he let this slip by. You sympathized. You knew what it was like to do the wrong thing and seriously regret it.

"No time for that now," Jesse said.

"Right," Winston replied, collecting himself in an instant.

"We need a plan," DVa said.

You continued to chew on your ration. You hadn't swallowed yet, because it was disgusting.

"It ain't gonna be fancy," Jesse began, "Reinhardt and Torbjorn are gonna set up some cover for the supports, and Hanzo, and the rest of us are gonna harass 'em around the edges."

"We hope it's enough to tire them out, and we will decide what to do as we go. Hopefully, we've worked together enough times for this to work out. But...it's possible that some of you will get injured."

He paused and let this sink in.

"We got this," Lucio assured him. You nodded in agreement, finally swallowing the ration. You nearly tossed it back up.

That seemed to be good enough for everyone, and maybe it was. You were a little nervous, but then again, you hadn't been properly in the field for a little while. You hung back a bit while everyone piled into the Orca. You stopped Genji.

"Hey, you didn't eat."

He tilted his head at you, as if he didn't expect you to notice. Or to say something if you did. You wondered if he would consider it not your business.

"Hey, let's go," Jesse called from the doorway of the dropship.

Seeing him gave you an idea. You shifted to classic McCree and led Genji by the hand onto the Orca, and he let you. You took him to back of the ship in the raised area and pushed him around the corner where people might not see.

"Take that off," you told him, indicating his face plates.

Again with the head tilt.

"Trust me, okay?"

He reluctantly obeyed, keeping his face turned away from everyone else. His eyes widened in surprise when you plunked McCree's hat on the front of his head, covering the top half of his face.

"You're good now."

You saw white teeth beneath the hat as he grinned. The Orca lifted, jostling you. You held an arm out to steady yourself. Genji finally bit into his ration.

The ride this time was even shorter. The Orca was flying low to avoid being spotted with the naked eye, but still, you caught a glimpse of the enemy. It was true. A sea of black was camped not far from the watchpoint. This was serious. Your stomach clenched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got some action coming up for a few chapters.


	12. Chapter 12

You'd been on enough missions to know this was _go time_. No fucking around and disobeying orders this time for you.

Or rather, that's what you wished you were thinking. In reality, you couldn't help thinking of all the times you absolutely did the wrong thing. The mission where you jumped out the window, the honeypot mission, and the latest one with Soldier 76. Even that time in the bathroom in Genji's body. You lowered your head, unconsciously hiding your gaze from anyone who might seek to meet it. As if anyone could see what your feelings were just by looking into your eyes. Shame mounted, threatening to bury and trap you in a downward spiral of _I'm not good enough_ 's, and _what am I even doing here_ 's. These are heroes, and you're just some idiot who managed to join them. It had been a while since that happened, but with things seeming so important now, your mind went into overtime to drag you down. The exact opposite of what you needed.

Having finished his ration, Genji placed McCree's hat back on your head, and your mind restablished its grip on reality. Just like that. Your eyes went to Genji's face. You were a little in awe of how someone's touch had saved you just when you needed it. You knew it was just a really happy coincidence, but still, it made you, well, _happy_ all the same.

You pulled Genji close with your free arm and squeezed him as tight as you could, burying your face into his neck as hard as you could without hurting yourself on the metal there. He made a noise that suggested you forced some air out of his lungs, but he still pressed his cool faceplate against your neck in return. Instead of the cold shocking you, it felt refreshing.

"Sorry for the cold. I did not expect you to do that," he said, sounding pleased at your display of affection.

"It's okay."

When the Orca landed a safe distance away from the Talon encampment, you expected to finally be separated from your love. You were pleasantly surprised when that didn't happen. You and Genji were going in first, as twins, to distract the soldiers enough so that Reinhardt could get himself situated on some advantageous high ground. Instead of looking at you, McCree gave a meaningful look to Genji. You each gave him a two-finger salute and dashed off.

"Stay back. We don't need to kill anyone; we just need to get their attention," Genji reminded you on the way.

"Yeah."

You did as you were told, using cover to your advantage as best you could. You threw shurikens, grazing ears, and embedding them in helmets, and then retreated with your wakizashi drawn. You weren't used to being the mouse in a cat and mouse game, but you did well enough that eventually a small group of enemies split off and followed you. Genji came up behind them, spraying shurikens and dashing through, incapacitating or killing most of them.

"Wow, that went better than I thought," you told him.

He reloaded his shurikens.

"Our task is not complete."

"Right."

You were concentrating so well on behaving that you didn't notice everyone else had gotten into position. You heard McCree's Peacekeeper in the distance, and Winston and DVa dove in and out of the edges of the encampment.

"Excellent work so far everyone. Shifter, to my position," Winston said over the comm.

Genji covered you while you retreated towards your commander. When Winston saw you, he beat his chest a few times.

"Time for the real action," he said excitedly. You also felt some tentative excitement breaking through your serious resolve.

"Orders, Sir?"

"Reinhardt."

The perfect man to dispense justice with enthusiasm.

"Ready to do what you do best and teach this intruders a lesson?"

"Yes, Sir!"


	13. Chapter 13

For the first time in a long time, you let your passion for fighting in the field overwhelm your state of mind. Your grip visibly twisted around Reinhardt's hammer while you waited for the go ahead. Winston grinned, and one of his thick fangs peeked out of the side of his mouth.

"Let's do this," he said.

He enraged, turning an angry red, and leapt fists-first into a nearby company of soldiers. The lucky ones scrambled away, and the others were slammed against the ground. You took this as license to also go bananas. You charged forward, a medieval freight train cutting through the battlefield. When you came to a halt, you grabbed your hammer in both hands and swung with all your might, making clear your intentions to those around you.

A distant group of enemies got brave and started to fire at you. You brought your shield up. No way were they stopping you today. You eyeballed it, lining it up, and let loose a firestrike. They, and those directly behind them, screamed and dropped, their protective gear on fire. You took your hammer in both hands again and continued to swing. This way and that. This continued for a long while. Vaguely described, because time seemed to blurr at this point. Probably for good reason. If you stopped to think about every life you were ending, you would have collapsed under the weight of your actions.

An impossibly loud, focused sound rang out from behind you. It ended in an equally loud clang from right behind your back. You froze mid-swing. Widowmaker. But...you were still alive. And you felt no pain, either.

No time to worry about it, as you were still surrounded. You continued to swing your hammer at the soldiers that were within reach. Sickening crunches came from their bodies, but you kept going. If they were going to attack your home, there were going to be consequences. That's how simple it was right now. Kill or be killed. There was no denying the grim side to this. The upside was that you had your teammates, your heroes, at your back. You fought for them, for you, for Genji, and for all the good Overwatch could do in the future.

A silver blur sprang forth towards you from the chaos. It dodged your current swing and landed on your shoulder. A familiar green strip leaned into your peripheral vision.

"Genji?"

You let your hammer drop down and brought your shield up, protecting you both. Winston continued to make a mess of the soldiers around you.

"Widowmaker," he called over all the noise. You nodded to show understanding, "Pharah managed to drive her into hiding for now."

You should have heard that information over the comm, but you didn't. It must really be that loud down here in the thick of things.

A Talon soldier screamed as his body flew past in the background of your view. An angry Winston followed soon after.

"I am going to go after her," he called again, pointing behind you, "They want you to clean up down here."

It took you a few seconds to process what that meant. It was nearly over. You couldn't see from here, but the soldiers' ranks must have been in complete disaray if the current situation was being described as "clean up." Their numbers must have been severely reduced. Not to mention, you were being given the go ahead to end things. And perhaps with a bang. Just how you liked to operate. You grinned beneath your helm. You knew just how you were going to do it.

Genji leaned in even farther to press his helmet to yours.

"My brave love. I will protect you."

He disappeared from your vision to somewhere behind you. You're glad he left, because then he wouldn't see you standing still for a few seconds, flustered by his sweet words.

You turned around in a slow circle, checking to make sure no one but Winston was near. You waved your hammer at him to get his attention. He calmed his rage when he saw you waving, returning to his usual blue-black colour. Without a word, he waved back and fired his jump pack, flying towards the real Reinhardt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter next!!! SO EXCITING!!!!1


	14. Chapter 14

It was time for Reaper. It had been a while since you used this form. You rolled his powerful shoulders and cackled to yourself quietly. The soldiers closest to you stopped to stare in confusion. They knew who Reaper was, but they didn't know who _you_ were. Dark smoke crept up around your legs, and you started to spin.

The black smoke billowed around you in a circle, turning you into a macabre whirling dervish. You continued to spin, smoke tendrils pushing further out. You heard panicked noises and calls to retreat, but they were made in vain. Anyone caught in the radius of the smoke was about to be riddled with shotgun bullet fragments. A cry for their deaths vibrated up from your chest and tore from your throat. Bullets went in every direction at once, and a symphony of pained screams answered your cry. You slowed to a stop and tossed the spent shotguns. They fell to the ground with a set of loud clacks, and you surveyed your handiwork for any survivors, mentally pushing down any guilt or horror rising inside you. So far, you succeeded, until you spied a body that was unlike the others. It was slimmer, and it was missing the usual black Talon armour.

Your words caught in your throat. That was just as well; you had none to describe how you felt, anyway. You ran over to the slight body, shifting back into yourself unconsciously.

You loomed over him, trying to lift his metal body into your arms. He was so heavy, and his body was like a ragdoll. He was limp and his limbs flopped a little, comically. Just like in video games. An unwanted, twisted, small burst of amusement welled up in you. The absurdity of it was what triggered the sobbing.

You had to get his visor off. You had to see his face again. You had to see the beautiful eyes that cried when he first said he loved you. Your shaking fingers pulled his mask off and tucked it into your lap for safekeeping. Keeping for what, you didn't know.

You weren't prepared for the cruelty of what lay under the mask. His face looked like it always did when he was alive. His dark brown eyes stared back at you, except that they didn't. His skin was still warm, exactly like when he was alive, except he wasn't. The heartless contradictions squeezed your chest so hard, you thought you were having a panic attack. Tears fell from your cheeks onto his. You hastily brushed them off. And then wailed.

You shook him in a vain attempt to wake him from his eternal slumber. Then you worried that you shook him too roughly. You whispered apologies into his chest, holding him close. So tight. In case by some miracle your love for him would bring him back to you. Your heart was bursting and cracking at the same time. You had seen more mysterious and magical things while in Overwatch, but this was just a normal battlefield. Only the mysterious Death worked his magic here.

Widowmaker lined up her third shot.

You didn't notice; you were too busy holding his face, trying to memorize all the scars, even though you couldn't see them anymore. There were too many tears. You started to ghost your fingers over his skin reverently, instead.

The rifle rang through the battlefield.

The shot hit Reinhardt's shield. Reinhardt stood still, giving Jesse cover and time to drag you away. When you realized that they were leaving him behind, your heart cracked just that much more.

You screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I was a nice person, I'd have ended this at Chapter 10. But you guys signed up for angst, remember?
> 
> Who killed Genji? I left it vague on purpose so you could consider that on your own.


End file.
